Sunday, September 11, 2011

Spinach, Parmesan, and Portobello Quiche

When grocery shopping for just myself, I always try to buy the smallest portion possible, which means, for example, that I will buy 6 eggs instead of 12 or 18. However, I recently visited my parents (who live about 30 minutes away from me), and I came back with a whole dozen eggs. Why? Well, I have suspicions that my dad is expecting the end of the world in October, because he had just gone to CostCo or Sam's Club to (over) fully stock the fridge, seemingly in preparation for it. Keep in mind that my parents and my youngest sister, Mia (who is 9), are the only three people living in the house... But, in their refrigerator, I found two gallons of orange juice (only Mia drinks orange juice), three commercial sized containers of cottage cheese, 9 pounds of butter, two 18-egg cartons plus one 12-egg carton plus two extra eggs, two large containers of Greek yogurts, and a number of other items in bulk quantity.

So, in short, my mother sent me home with a dozen eggs, and now I am making a quiche. The most complicated part is the pie crust, which could certainly be purchased if you do not feel like expending the effort to make it. I would say that a single serving of these could range from 1 to 3, depending on how hungry you are. I made two because one is sufficient for me and because the second one can be lunch tomorrow.

The quiche made in a custard cup. Custard cups are inexpensive, sold at most stores, and extremely convenient if you are cooking small quantities of something. They are useful for entrees and desserts, and I highly recommend investing in them.

Ingredients for One Quiche

1 small ball of pie crust (can also be purchased, but I recommend the recipe below)

I used Martha Stewart's basic pie crust recipe, which makes a 9-inch pie crust. I used a different technique from that listed in her recipe, and I divided the final pie crust up into 5 small crusts. I used two for the two quiches that I made, and I froze the other three for later use. You can freeze them individually, and they will last for up to 3 months. Make sure all your butter and your ice water are both very cold! Making sure they are cold helps make the crust flakier.

Add the stick of butter, cut into pieces. Using a pastry blender, blend the butter in with the flour mixture until a coarse meal forms.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of water, and continue to blend to with the pastry blender until the dough is somewhat crumbly but still sticks together. You may have to add up to two more tablespoons of ice water. I had to add about two and a half tablespoons of water to mine.

Place dough in plastic wrap, shape into a disc that is about 1 inch thick, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Take dough out of refrigerator and divide up into 5 equal sized pieces.